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Herbert Bernard Kohus Sr. 1886-1969
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Herbert Bernard Kohus Sr. was born 27 Dec 1886 on German Street, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, the son of Louis Kohus 1858-1907 and Julia Elbrey 1860-1945. Herbert was about age 5 or 6 when the family relocated to Addyston, Ohio. That is where Herbert spent his childhood and teenage years. Addyston is a small town only a few miles east of Cincinnati, along the Ohio River. Herbert married very young. His first wife was Lizzie LaFever 1888-1905, daughter of Andrew Jackson LaFever and Julia A. Lacey 1864-1936. They were married on 7 Sept 1903 in Dearborn County, Indiana. Herbert was 16 and Lizzie was only 15 years of age. Herbert and Lizzie had a daughter, Julia Alma Kohus. Lizzie LaFever died the day Julia was born. Lizzie is buried in Greendale Cemetery, Dearborn County, Indiana. She has a home made concrete headstone with the initials L K on it. Family stories say that her father, Andrew Jackson LaFever, made the headstone for her grave and was known to whitewash it on occasion to keep it looking nice. At the time of Lizzie’s death, Herbert was left a single, 18-year-old parent, with an infant daughter. He left daughter Julia Alma with Lizzie's parents for the first two years of Julia’s life. He returned after his second marriage to Mabel Duncan 1890-1970 to take custody of his daughter and return her to live with them in Cincinnati. Herbert and Mabel were married on 15 Apr 1907, in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio.
At the time of his second marriage, Herbert was 20 years of age and Mabel Duncan was 16. Mabel was my grandmother's birth name and it appears on early records before she started using the name Mary. I remember Grandfather Herbert Kohus always called her Mabel. I was at their house one time in the early 1960's when an old song came on the radio, entitled Mary. I remember my grandfather saying how he loved the song and how it was special to him since grandma's name was Mary. I was surprised, I did not know until then that my grandmother’s name was Mary. I was probably about 13 years old at the time. This confused me for many years until I learned that Mary was the name my grandmother took at the time of her baptism into the Catholic Church. Herbert was of the Catholic faith and Mabel was not considered a Christian name. I have memories from when I was a young child that Grandma Kohus loved to play the harmonica. I don’t know how or when she became interested in playing it but I remember her playing the harmonica often and the song Mary was one she knew well. Know I know why. Herbert and Mabel were married at a very young age by today’s standards. It is interesting that on their marriage certificate pictured below, Herbert states his age as 21 and Mabel 17. Several documents relating to Herbert Kohus place his birth date at different times. His birth certificate (#347) lists his birth date on 27 Dec 1886.
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Mabel Julia Duncan
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Herbert B. Kohus and wife Mable Julia Duncan |
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When Herbert applied for his social security card in 1936 (#198), he was working for the Cincinnati Street Railway Company as a conductor. The information on the marriage license was sworn to and signed by Mabel's father Orson Duncan. Orson Duncan and Oscar Duncan are the same person. Orson started using the name Oscar, between 1900 and 1910. If years are an indication of marital success, the marriage between Herbert Kohus and Mable Julia Duncan was quite an accomplishment. It lasted a total of 63 years and produced seven children.
The number of times Herbert and Mabel changed their residence throughout their lives is interesting. No doubt they probably moved more times between the city directory listings. In 1908, Herbert, Mary and daughter Julia were living at 513 East 13th. St. In 1909, they had their first child Evelyn Elisabeth 1909-1978 and were living at 1125 Jackson. In 1910, Louis Oscar 1910-1994 was born, evidently named after his grandfathers, Louis Kohus and Oscar Duncan. They lived at 1308 Main that year. In 1911, they lived at 126 Dorsey, and in 1912, at 1227 Clay. That year they had another child, Edward Henry, 1912-1990.
From 1909 to 1918 Herbert was tending bar at his brother John Kohus' business. It was called the John Kohus’ Cafe and located at 1215 Main Street in Cincinnati. It is interesting to note the building that once housed the John Kohus Cafe became the "John 3.16 Baptist Church." in the 1960's and is still so as this in being edited in 2011. On 27 Feb 1917, while living at 15 East 15th Street, their forth child was born, my father, Herbert Bernard Kohus, Jr 1917-2009. Three months after the birth of Herbert Bernard Jr, Herbert Kohus, Sr.’s brother, John William, died . John William Kohus 1880-1917, died on 28 May 1917 from tuberculosis. He was 37 years old. John William was survived by his wife Mary (Shafer) Kohus and daughter Loretta. Mary (Shafer) Kohus continued to operate the saloon business in 1918-1919. In 1919, however, she is listed in the Cincinnati Williams Directory at that business address but was selling soft drinks.
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Herbert Kohus "Bar Tender" standing in front of his brother's saloon. The people in the old Model T Packard truck represent the SUHOK CLUB. The club was probably organized at their John Kohus' Saloon. At least one of the activities of the SUHOK CLUB was baseball as they are depicted below. I do not know It the club had other functions. John William Kohus driver of the truck and Herbert Kohus Sr. standing in rear of truck 3rd person from right.
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SUHOK CLUB
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Photo - Herbert Kohus 6th from left top row. Brother-in-law Edward John Duncan 1893-1961 top tow, left,1st person
Herbert Kohus Sr. left the Saloon business about 1919 and took a job with the Cincinnati Street
Railway Company as a street car conductor. A conductor was the person who stood at the
door and took the money as people entered the street car. Herbert retired
from this company in the 1950’s. The company is known today as Queen City
Metro. In 1920, Herbert Sr. and his family moved to
1812 Republic where on May 22, 1920 their daughter
Adeline Virginia
. In 1924, Herbert Sr. and Mary Julia had
a son named Robert Kohus 1924-1924. Robert lived only about one month. Their
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Photo right - Herbert Bernard Kohus Sr |
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enth and final child, |
They lived there until 1953 when his son Herbert Bernard Jr. sold the house and moved to Mt. Repose in Clermont County just east of Milford, Ohio. At that time, Herbert Sr., Mabel and Adeline moved to 29 West McMillan, Apt. 2. They lived there until one day while Mabel was pursuing her passions, "bingo," and won $500. That was a respectful sum of money in 1953. The money was used as a down payment on a house just up the street from their son Herbert's new home at 6055 Floyd Place in Mt Repose. Herbert and Mable lived in the house with daughter Adeline until their deaths. Families stories tell that Mabel Kohus was opposed to moving to a rural area so far from Cincinnati and the places she play bingo. The house was probably one of the only residences they lived in since childhood that had a yard. That must have been why Herbert Sr. enjoyed his yard as he did. He loved working in it and that seemed to occupy most of his time.
I can remember fewer things I loved more as a child than the visits I made to my grandparents’ house. All children should have such memories. They were very loving grandparents. I remember how Grandma Kohus liked to play cards. I would visit and play cards with her for hours. Grandma also loved to play her harmonica and would play songs that Grandpa and I would request. She knew simple tunes such as Yankee Doodle, Jimmy Crack Corn, Suwannee River, My Old Kentucky Home, Taps and Mary. She would let me play it whenever I asked. I remember spending hours doing just that. I probably drove them all crazy with the noise, but I cannot remember a discouraging word directed my way.
As I mentioned earlier, Grandpa Kohus loved gardening and would spend hours in his yard, planting, pruning and weeding his flowers. Anyone visiting their house could expect at least one guided tour of the yard to inspect the progress of his plants. He loved gardening and inspired me to begin planting a summer vegetable garden when I was a child. Herbert Bernard Kohus, Sr. died at home on 3 May 1969. Mary (Mabel) Julia Duncan died 16 months later on 3 Sep 1970. They are both buried in the Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 11000 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio. |
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Herbert B. Kohus Sr. lived 82 years, 4 months, 6 days Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Cincinnati, Ohio
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